"I fear that for many Americans -- Christians and people of other faiths or no faith -- will devote little time or attention, let alone resources, to the people suffering in the Horn of Africa. Rather they are preoccupied with 'First World problems'...

Read Matthew 25:31-46 and consider how important caring for "the least among us" is to Jesus. Also, we need to consider who we resemble in the Good Samaritan parable. There is no question that God's heart breaks when innocent people die of preventable causes. We have the resources...do we have the heart?

hello, I'm also concerned with children because I have 2 baby nephews also. I'm not that rich because I only had a job but I know how hard it is to have no food because I once experienced when I am still studying. I can pray for the little children

while my heart bleeds for these children, and children all over the world in similar situations, there are many children right here in the USA that are hungry and in need of the basics, having raised a child who went to bed hungry on many occasions, I prefer to help them first. If I could fix the world I could.....Thanks for your work, though

I support WorldVision through Child Sponsorship. But it is absolutely appropriate for us to worry about the situation in our own country, whether we are "First World" or "Third World". There is poverty and hunger everywhere.
For most people in America, we are not making choices between bottled water and tap water.
We are making choices between rent and food.
Huffington Post is also not a site that I wish to get my preaching from.

In the article, he isn't talking about overlooking those in America that are hungry, he is saying in America, we are more concerned about our next car purchase, where we go on vacation, what movie to see this weekend, etc. Our thoughts, alot of the time, aren't on any of those in poverty, here or abroad. The point is to help those that are needy whether here or there, he even says that very clearly.

I think God places people on each of our hearts. Some feel the need to help relieve suffering in Africa, some in China, and some in America. The thing is we need to respond to the burden placed on our hearts. We fail to fulfill the scriptures when we either ignore the suffering or throw our hands up and give up because the problem is too big...nothing is too big for God. Maybe all we can do right now is pray. That doesn't seem like much on this side of eternity but one day, I think we will be surprised at how much our simple prayers accomplish. Pray for those suffering no matter where they are and He will open our eyes to what we can do. Then, let us do what is set before us with all our energy. In the end we can only control our own response to these situations. Let's not scoff at the insensitivity of our neighbor. Let's just keep our eyes on our own paper so to speak and do what God has given us each to do.

I agree with some previous comments that I cannot and should not try to bear the world's burdens. When he was on earth, Jesus lived in a land of great poverty and hardship, but he did not try to address the politics of the day tht left people in such need. He healed a few; he fed a few. He must have walked past many. Like he was, I am restricted by my human body; i cannot be everywhere or help everyone. But now there are also Christians everywhere who can go to the Father on our knees. The world may not see prayer as an answer, but it is for us who believe. I believe his message is about the attitude of the heart and our own priorities. My concern is to know Jesus and in this way to become more like him in the neighbourhood and the land where he has placed me. And i agree that the Huffington Post is not my go-to source.

Twisting the words of Christ to condemn those who "have all they need" is dangerous and irresponsible. It is profoundly unwise to put words in God's mouth. Beyond that, what does Mr. Stearns expect? That all Americans drop everything that's on their plate (unemployment, financial hardship, etc.) and all work together to end the famine? It is true that we need to do all that we can to aid "the least of these," but he speaks as if those who are affected by "First World problems" (many of which are not as unimportant as he paints them as being) could solve world hunger if only they stop worrying about themselves.
Also, it is impossible for me to take seriously someone who refers to a Stalin quote as being "powerful and provocative." Stalin would certainly know about the kind of statistics that his quote refers to, as he was responsible for starving millions of Russian peasants to death.

I don't believe that we have to give up everything to give to the "least of these" but we should take a look at how we spend. If you truly have to choose between rent and food then by all means, you are not in a position to give the extra that you don't have to give. If though, your choice is lattes and helping the needy or data plans v. saving a life or that new x box game you think you "need" while babies are dying of starvation then you may want to seriously re-think your values. Somethings wrong in a worl where we can't wait till we're near a computer to check in on facebook or where our cable service is "necessary" while suffering goes on all around us.